Improvement in steam cotton-presses



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. .R. STENHOUSE. Steam Cotton-Press.

No. 215,076. Patented May 6,1879,

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NFETERS, FHOTO-UTHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON, D C.

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R. STENHOUSE. Steam Cotton-Press.

Patented May 6, 1879.

No.215,o76.

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N. PETERS, PHQTn-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C

UNITED S TATE S PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD STENHOUSE, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM COTTON-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,076, dated May 6,1879 application filed November 25, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD STENHoUsE, a resident of the city of NewOrleans, parish of Orleans, and State of Louisiana, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Steam Cotton-Presses; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and correctdescription of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specification.

This invention affords a means whereby steam cotton-presses may beworked to better advantage and with more economy than heretofore; and itconsists in the addition of an exhaust-steam reservoir and of anarrangement of valves, all of which are clearly shown in the drawings,and hereinafter more fully described.

Sheet 1, Figure 1, represents my invention as applied to an open-topcylinder, and Fig. 2 details of the valve-gearing. On Sheet 2 theinvention is shown in connection with a double-headed cylinder.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

If a Tyler press or open-top cylinder is employed, the connection ismade between the reservoirA and cylinder B by a single pipe, as shownatO in Sheet 1. This pipe is furnished with a valve, 0, having avertical stem, which is surmounted by a rectangular frame, f, in whichoperates a cam, g, so as to open or close the valve as often as requiredduring the progress of the work.

The rod h, upon which the aforesaid cam is secured, is journaled insuitable bearings, as at M, and is provided with two additional cams lait, set at different angles, so as to operate two other valves, m it,both of which communicate with the interior of the cylinder through acommon pipe, L. The steam is conveyed from the boiler through a pipe, M,to the valve m, by which it is let into the cylinder, so as to operatethe piston thereof.

N is an exhaustpipe, for discharging all steam left in the cylinderafter the reservoir has been charged.

To the rod h is keyed or otherwise secured a pinion, O, the teeth ofwhich are engaged by arack, P, the lower end of which is pivoted to alever, I, whereby the operation of the valves is controlled. The cams,as before stated, are set at different angles, in order that but onevalve shall be operated at a time.

In starting the press the valve m is first opened, so as to admit steamto the under side of the piston-head, and thereby impart motion to thesame. When the full extent of stroke desired has been attained theoperating-lever I is raised, so as to partially rotate the shaft h, andthereby cause the cam is to release its valve m, which, by reason of itsWeight, will immediately drop and shut off any further passage ofsteam.The motion of the lever I being continued will cause the second cam, g,to raise its valve e, and thus permit the steam from the cylinder toflow into the reservoir A until an even balance has been attained ineach, when the movement of the operatinglever is continued, so as toclose the valve 6 and open valve n. The remaining steamis permitted toescape from the cylinder through valve 12 into the exhaust-pipe. Theoperatinglever is now reversed, which causes the exhaustvalve 12 to beclosed and the valvee to be opened, and through the latter the steamfrom the reservoir enters the cylinder, and presses forward the pistonthereof until the steam in the cylinder and reservoir is again at anequal pressure. The said valvee is then closed, and live steam let inthrough the valve or until the extent of stroke desired has beenreached.

The hot water accumulating in the reservoir from the condensation ofsteam therein is conveyed through a pipe, D, to a suitable pump, (notnecessarily shown in the drawings,) by which it is forced back into thesteam-boiler.

If a double-headed cylinder is employed the reservoir should beconnected therewith by means of pipes O G and valves 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,as shown in Sheet 2.

A press thus provided is operated by first opening the steam-valve 1 andexhaust-valve 3, the former admitting steam from the boiler to the underside of the piston, and the latter relieving the same from pressure onits upper side. When the said piston has reached a sufficient height toreduce the bale to its smallest compass the aforesaid valves 1 3 areclosed and that marked 2 opened, which will cause the steam to pass fromthe cylinder into the reservoir A and pipe 0, the latter communicatingwith the safety-valve 5, through which the steam above a certainpressure is permitted to reach the valve 4, from whence it passes intothe cylinder, wherein it acts against the upper side of the piston, andthus serves to lower the press. To raise the press again, shut the valve4 and open the exhaustvalve 3. The valve 2, being left open, permits thesteam contained in the reservoir to pass back into the cylinder, raisingthe piston thereof for a limited distance, when 2 is shut and the mainvalve 1 opened, to admit sufficient live steam to complete the stroke.The lowering of the press is again effected as hereinbefore stated.

The valves may be provided with ordinary levers, so as to be operated byhand; or they may be arranged to operate antomatieall y by any knownmechanical means.

From the above description it will be seen that this invention dispenseswith the ordinary heater.inasinnch as the condensed steam of thereceiver is carried back to the boiler, while at the same time iteffects a saving of some forty per cent. in amount of steam ordinarilyemployed for pressing cotton and other merchandise.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

In a steam cotton-press, the combination, with cylinder B, reservoir A,supply-pipe C, discharge-pipe M, exhaust-pipe N, and valves 0 m n, ofrotating cam-shaft h, pinion O, rack I, and lever I, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have herenn to sign ed my name.

RICHARD STENHOUSE.

In presence of- JAMES C. KIDDELL, I. FINNEY.

